The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1887-04-08

JOHN q SAKE, the wit and poet, lawyer ant
lecturer, and famous among the leaders o
Vermont Democracy 80 years ago, died Thurs
day Of last week at Albany, N Y, atithe age o
II. His health failed some years ago, follow
ing an injury received in railroad accident
and he has been great sufferer from by pc.
chondria, intensified by the death OF his wife
and three daughters to whom be was deeply
attached, bis brother and oil but one of ti!
sons, until OF last he came to feel that earth had
| no more attractions for MIN. Mr. Sake wa.
born at Highgate. W, Of family that swert
| among the early and prominent settlers ol
Franklin county, graduated from Middlebury
In 1889, married Highgate girl, Miss Solace
| and practiced law there for number of. years
until 1850, when be moved to Burlington, pur-
chased the Burlington Sentinel, and conducted
It for five years, publishing daily edition of il
a portion of the time. These were the palmy
days of the Vermont Democracy, with SAKE,
Chas G Eastman and Dillingham; among its
leaders aad Hawthorn o frequent sattendant
at conventions, which ALWAYS had their sside.
gatherings for intellectual treats, and Sake
was always the gayest, sprightest and wilt
tiest Of the circle. He was repeatedly the
Democratic candidate for governor and In 1851
was elected states attorney. At the end of
bis term OF office he took leave Of the bar and
devoted himself wholly to literature and lee
turing. His earliest poems were published in
the Knickerbocker magazine in lS43; but his
first poetical essay which attracted much at
tention was progress, a Satire in 1915,
which passed through several editions Other
publications which havs appeared are the
"Money King 1859. "Clever Stories OF Many
Nations" 1863; masquerade" 1866" Fables
Est legends OF Many Courtrics.1 1872 !;
"Proud Miss Mcbride" 1879 and Leisure
Day Rhymes" 1875. Alter leaving Burling
ton he conducted the Albany Evening Journal
for some years and then retired to Brooklyn
where his residence was the resort of cultur-
ed circle of friends, ,aad while there he wrote some
and lectlred some, and then at the heightof his
fame was in as much demand for anniversary
occasions as Oliver Wendell Holmes has since
been. He contributed to the Ledger, in those
days, and long after he stopped writing Mr.
Bonner who is very kind to all his contribu-
lCESJ Seut ulul u CutCh lUT SoUU, Us u uttIe
friendly present. Several volumes of his
poems have been published aud have run
through 40 editions in this country and Eag-
land. But some of his brightest things never
appeared in permanent form. When he was
,dito. Of the Burlington Sentinel an iratc pat
,on returned his paper with the coarse and in.
'ulting note upon the margin, "Send the -
hing to -" In the next issue SAKE pub |
ished the no.e and added
"Tls proper, we confess,
With change of residence to change the address,
Well send the paper, il the post will let it,
Where the subscriber will be sure to get it,
Again when be was the party candidate for
governor:
When John was contending (though sure to
be beaD
n the annual race for the governors seat,
And a crusty old fellow remarked to his face,
10 was clearly too young for SO lofty o place
Perhaps so, said John, but consider minute,
he objection will cease by the time he is in it,"
1t is John g Saxs's best epitaph that what
YER bis own sorrows and suf .rlngs have been,
8 regards others be leaves only happy men,
ry behind him.